Crime
FSU Shooting Victim Robert Morales Identified as Son of Controversial Cold War-Era CIA Operative Ricardo “Monkey” Morales
Roberto Morales, one of the two individuals killed during the mass shooting at Florida State University on Thursday, was not a student at the university.
Authorities confirmed that five others were hospitalized in the shooting, which unfolded just before noon near the Student Union building.
The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, an FSU student and the son of longtime Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Ikner, is currently in custody.
Law enforcement officials stated that the suspect used one of his mother’s personal firearms during the attack.
Roberto Morales, originally from South Florida, had worked in dining services at Florida State University since 2015.
Friends and family members say he was a dedicated worker and a devoted family man, survived by his wife and daughter.
According to his brother, Morales was profoundly affected by the death of their father, Ricardo “Monkey” Morales, during his teenage years.
Ricardo Morales, a Cuban exile and former Cold War intelligence operative, was fatally shot in a Key Biscayne bar on December 20, 1982, at the age of 43.
The incident was officially ruled a justifiable homicide, though longstanding questions and conspiracy theories persist due to his controversial background and extensive ties to covert operations.
Ricardo “Monkey” Morales was a high-profile figure in anti-Castro militant circles and operated as an intelligence asset for multiple agencies, including the CIA, FBI, DEA, Israel’s Mossad, and Venezuela’s DISIP.
His career was marked by a wide array of clandestine activities, from sabotage and espionage to alleged involvement in drug trafficking.
Despite facing numerous legal challenges, Morales often avoided prosecution — further fueling speculation about his deep involvement with U.S. and international intelligence communities.
A veteran of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, Morales became part of the broader network of Cuban exiles recruited by the CIA during the 1960s and ’70s for missions aimed at destabilizing Fidel Castro’s government.
His covert operations spanned multiple continents and left behind a murky trail of intrigue and speculation.
In a 2021 Miami radio interview, Ricardo Morales Jr. — Roberto’s brother — claimed that their father had recognized Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, as one of his former sniper trainees.
According to Morales Jr., his father served as a sniper instructor at secret CIA-backed camps where Cuban exiles and others were trained for covert missions. He claimed that Morales immediately identified Oswald upon seeing news reports following JFK’s assassination in 1963.
Roberto Morales’ life and death now echo the shadowy legacy of his father, a man whose name continues to stir debate among Cold War historians and conspiracy theorists alike.
Crime
Anna Kepner Stepbrother Timothy Hudson Charged With Murder Months After Her Death Aboard Cruise Ship
Brevard County, Fla. — New court filings reveal that Timothy Hudson, the 16-year-old stepbrother of 18-year-old Anna Kepner has been charged with homicide in connection with her death, months after she was found deceased aboard a cruise ship during a family vacation.
Anna, a resident of Titusville, was discovered dead in her stateroom on November 7, 2025, while traveling with family aboard the Carnival Horizon.
According to court documents, her body was found under a bed in the cabin.
Filings state that she died from asphyxiation resulting from what was described as a “bar hold.”
Because Anna’s death occurred while the ship was in open water returning to Miami following a weeklong Caribbean cruise, the case is being prosecuted in federal court.
On February 20, Thomas Hudson filed an emergency petition in Brevard County seeking sole custody of his 9-year-old daughter, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Shauntel Hudson.
The child currently resides primarily with Shauntel and her husband, Chris Kepner—Anna’s father.
The petition asserts that there has been a “significant and unanticipated change in circumstances” warranting an immediate modification of parental responsibility and time-sharing arrangements. The filing references information circulating on social media from the Kepner family indicating that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother was charged with homicide on February 3 by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
The document further alleges that newly obtained information may call into question the judgment and parenting decisions within the household.
A law enforcement source confirmed that the 16-year-old appeared in federal court in Miami on February 6.
According to the source, U.S. Marshals escorted the teen to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, where he and a public defender appeared before a magistrate judge in a closed hearing.
Following the proceeding, Shauntel Hudson and Chris Kepner released a statement expressing frustration over the court’s decision to grant the teen release.
“At this time, it is deeply painful and disturbing to our family that the person responsible is able to walk freely. This reality adds to our grief and outrage,” the statement read in part. “It is devastating to know that while we live every day with the loss of our child, the individual responsible has not yet been fully held accountable.”
The homicide charge marks a significant development in a case that has drawn attention due to the location of the alleged crime and the family relationships involved.
Federal authorities continue to handle the prosecution, and additional court proceedings are expected as the case moves forward.
The investigation remains active.